Recipes and Crafts

This will be a somewhat brief introductory post to flat reed basket weaving, these two patterns are provided. Below are SOME websites you can buy supplies at:

Basketweaving.com

Peerlessratten.com

Thecountryseat.com

Explore these websites, as you learn basket weaving there's different materials you can learn to use and replace others and these websites will often provide the tools you will need too. You can use dyes or stain for flat reed, I have more experience with dyeing which basically involves boiling the color and then dunking the reeds in it.

Flat reed is literally that, flat reeds. Many flat reeds used are commercial but some traditional ones will be made of splints from trees such as Ash or White Oak. They are soaked in water and then shaped and woven into the craft desired.

Source

These patterns will tell you how you will need to cut your reeds. You will need a water source, preferably a tub of some kind, an awl, measuring tool, and a flat workspace.

Tips:

Do not let your flat reeds stay wet for too long! Let it dry in an open air space when you are not working on it or when it is complete, FLAT REED CAN MOLD.

If you soak flat reed for too long it can become mushy and unusable, at the very least if you soak it for extended periods be careful with how you bend it.

Flat reed tends to (not always) have a 'rough' and 'smooth' side, you want the rough side to be on the inside of your basket.

If you're a flat reed has started to split trim it as close to the split as you can as quickly as you can or it spreads.

Starting is the most difficult part and no basket will look like the end result in the beginning. Getting overwhelmed is normal, come back to it, these are not projects you do in one sitting.

So the creator titled this "Caveman Cooking," but I have decided that it is Grug the Orc making Peanut Butter Squares. Link to original post.

When I moved out of my parents house, my mom gave me this cookbook so could save some money. The idea is that each of tge dishes in here costs less than $4, which was the typical daily food stamp budget in 2015. In addition to recipes, the book also has some solid advice on meal planning and waste reduction.

Ten years later, minimum wage is still the same.

Lets see how this Obama-era cook book stands up to 2025 prices.

(To be clear- this is not a criticism of the author, who did a lot of research and math for this.)

We are going to shop for the Half-Veggie Burger today, which in 2015 money was 90c per serving, 7.20 total.

So. One of the challenges is that its so much cheaper per unit if you buy in bulk. This is great for families like the one I grew up in (2 adults, 2 kids, chest freezer) but a little harder for my small family (2 adults, no kids, budget fridge in my rental house).

So I had to think about some things.

Bell pepper at 99c plus buns at 1.79 = 2.78

Divided by 8 = .34

I had to think about the beans. Dry beans have to be soaked before they can be cooked ( ive gotten sick from someone not soaking their beans first). I am a fan of paying the ADHD tax up front to get canned beans for myself.

Each can is something like.... a cup and a bit. So I would have to get three of them. 3 cups of lentils i think might be 3/4 the bag.

.89 × 3 = 2.67 ÷8 = .33

1.69 ×.75= 1.26, ÷8 = .16

Now meat.

Beef is expensive, there is no getting around this. If i had a bigger freezer, I would be getting this monster.

Which portions out at 5.66 a pound. But, because I'm being practical about my lifestyle, I chose the smaller roll at 6.99/lb.

16.99 upfront cost, 5.66 ÷8 = .70

6.99 ÷ 8 = .87

And now eggs, which... I lucked the hell out with a flash sale.

Which they normally sell at 2.69.

Which makes this hard to quantify because you cant always expect eggs to be inexpensive, especially as we get into colder months.

So I will give totals for both what I bought versus what a typical price range might be.

1.49 ÷ 12 = .12 ÷8 = .02

2.69 ÷ 12 = .22 ÷ 8 =.03

Now let's add it up to different totals.

The first total is the big roll of beef with bag lentils but regular price eggs.

Upfront cost:

24.15 (but remember that the eggs, meat, and lentils can be used in more recipes.)

Cost per burger:

1.23

Now my adhd tax beans, practical amount of beef, and very lucky eggs.

13.93 up front cost.

1.56 per burger.

_____________________

So a 20-40 cent increase per serving doesnt sound bad. We are still under $4. But 20c per meal can get a little hairy over the course of a year.

Food prices are an interesting subject because they do fluctuate and its not always even how prices increase. Tariffs do things. Weather does things. Bird flu does things. Local markets can get weird on their own.

But this does affect everyone, and its something thats been on my mind since January. And with the possibility of losing SNAP next month, I think it was good for me to look at the reality of the situation.

Anyways- I do suggest this book. Prices may be out of date, but the recipes are really good.

Here is the rest of the recipe for y'all to try.

Amber Waves Motif, a free crochet stitch pattern designed by Pendleton Artistry on Ravelry.

start wanting rice. (or, if you are traditional, simply recognize your constant desire for rice.)

measure out two cups of rice. then one more. then two more. then another. this seems fine. you love rice. there is no way that this will backfire on you.

remember that your great-great-uncle’s recipe says it should be soaked overnight.

become consumed with despair.

decide to soak it for half an hour instead, acknowledging that the final product will be inferior and anger your ancestors but will still satisfy your now almost-overwhelming need for rice to be inside your body much faster.

remember that you should have set the water to boil when you soaked the rice. goddammit. 

once the water boils, put the rice in until it is half-cooked. the eyeballing or intuitive method is less effective than a timer but that’s how your aunt does it so you feel compelled to meet her standards.

now that the rice has fluffed up, realize how much rice six dry cups really is. holy shit. you’ve fucked up immeasurably. 

take a minute to dwell upon your failings.

grease a baking dish with butter. this will never be as elegant as you want it to and your fingers will get greasy, but the slightly shameful, self-indulgent joy of licking your fingers afterwards will make up for it.

pour the rice into the dish. wonder immediately if you actually buttered the dish beforehand and if you’ve just fucked up. 

melt approximately one thousand pounds of butter in the microwave and pour it over the rice, pondering your imminent death from rapid-onset arterial clogging. put a small pat of butter on the top to properly gild the lily.

put your pan into the oven, which you have absolutely preheated after your previous lack of foresight. shake the rice once or twice while it bakes to make sure the butter is well distributed. resist the impulse to climb into the oven with the rice. for the last ten minutes, sit next to the oven and count the seconds until it’s done.

remove the dish from the oven. shed a tear or two at the perfection laid before you. if you are dining with others, this is the time to serve the rice while making passive-aggressive statements about how oh no, you don’t need any help, you just made dinner all by yourself, you can serve everyone as well. (this is still fun if done alone, but optional.)

CONSUME THE RICE.

realize that you have eaten half of the dish in one sitting. no matter how much rice you made, this will always happen. 

put the leftovers away, if there are any, and enjoy a cup of chai while marveling at the amount of food you have just eaten. if possible, fall asleep in an armchair, sitting up, head tilted slightly back, like a grandpa.

1lb / approx. 2 ⅓ cups basmati rice (any long-grain rice will do)

3 tbsp salt

8 tbsp / 1 stick butter (you can reduce this if you don’t want to have a heart attack)

Put the rice in a pot and cover it in cold water and salt. Let it soak overnight. (If you don’t have the time to soak it, rinse the rice with cold water until it runs clear.)

Edit: The reason you want to soak basmati and other aromatic rice before cooking is to preserve more acetylpyrroline, the compound that gives aromatic rice its characteristic scent and flavor. Soaking rice allows the grains to absorb water, which reduces the cooking time, which means less time for the acetylpyrroline to cook off. It’ll still taste pretty good if you can’t do this, but you don’t want “pretty good”, you want mind-blowing, so for that perfect flavor you’ll want to soak your rice overnight. The soaking process also washes away the layer of starch on the outside of the rice, which allows the grains to separate rather than sticking together; this is why you want to rinse your rice thoroughly if you don’t have time to soak it.

Preheat your oven to 325°.

Boil three quarts of water in a separate pot. Once it’s at a fast boil, drain the rice and add it to the water. Boil for 5-7min or until one grain tastes half-cooked, but not soft. Pour the rice into a colander and rinse with cold water.

Edit: This step also helps get rid of any remaining starch on your grains, for perfectly separated rice. If your colander or strainer has large holes, you can put a paper towel/cheesecloth/clean dishcloth on the inside in order to drain your rice. Pour carefully if you’re using a paper towel, though, and put a bowl underneath your colander; I once lost a heartbreaking amount of rice when my paper towel got oversaturated and tore open.

Liberally grease the bottom of your baking pan with some of your butter. Pour the rice on top. Melt the rest of the butter in the microwave and pour on top of the rice.

Bake for 45min. (If you like, cover the rice for part or all of the baking time, but I find it gets less crispy on top if you do this.) Shake the pan a couple times during baking to ensure that the butter distributes throughout the entire dish.

Eat.

Serves four. Can easily be scaled up if needed (or down, but why would you do that?). Best enjoyed with a nice cup of chai.

Not me writing up an entire granny square pattern instead of studying :)

I hope it makes sense, and other people enjoy!

People who requested the pattern tagged under the cut:

The secret is in the water; literally, it’s IN the water.

See, when you boil potatoes, a lot of special starches and sugars and stuff leeches out into the water. When you drain the water before mashing them, you throw away a lot of good stuff, which is a big part of what makes mashed potatoes “dry” and bland, even when you add large amounts of cream and butter and things.

So don’t throw out any water.

Here’s how you do that:

First, cut your potatoes into smaller cubes than you probably do. (I’ve left the skins on for flavor and also, that’s where a lot of a potato’s nutrients are, like protien and iron and vitamins B and C, just to name a few)

The reason for cutting them smaller (besides avoiding giant peices of skin) is so that there is less space in the pot between each peice for water to fill, so you use less water to cook them. That’s important because you won’t be draining any water, so you can’t afford to have too much water! For the same reason, just barely cover them with water when they go on the stove.

But! Before you do that, put the pot on the stove with some butter, garlic, and seasonings; let the butter start to sizxle just a little then put most of a single layer of potatoes in the pan and let the brown and sear. Turn them, brown them on all sides, get ‘em fairly dark (I forgot to get a pic here because I was worried I’d burn the butter).

Ready? now throw the rest of the potatoes in right on top, and add your water, give them a stir. This way, you’re boiling in some of that lovely fried potato/french fry flavor.

Okay, so, as they cook, you may need to add a little water, not too much! ideally the very highest piece of potato will be poking just above the surface. Now, when your potatoes are really really soft, mash them directly into the water. Just pull them off the stove, leave all the water in, and start mashing. Trust me. At first you’ll think there’s too much water. If you get them mashed and they ARE a little too liquidy, just put ‘em back on the stove. You’ll have to stir often or constantly, but they will steam off additional water without losing any good stuff.

Now add some salt, and taste. Right?! And you haven’t even put in any cream or cheese or anything yet.

Speaking of which, you can use like, a third of the amount of butter or cream or anything, and they will still taste better than usual. So they taste better AND they are higher in nutrients AND lower in fats and salts! That’s a lot of win — enjoy your potatoes!

firstly get yourself one of these travel cups. they're not expensive and this one has a cap for the straw hole so you can take it with you without it spilling

you will need:

2-3 shots chilled espresso (DON'T use cold brew, the flavour won't be as strong and it's too much liquid)

1 cup milk of choice

a handful of ice cubes

any syrup/sweetener (2-4 pumps or measure with your heart)

1 tsp frappe base. this is the most important part because it's a binder/emulsifier that holds it together and gives it a texture like melted ice cream. you can get it in a powder or a liquid and there's also tutorials to make it yourself.

optional bonus: caramel/chocolate drizzle, whipped cream, sprinkles, etc etc etc

put everything in the blender and blend for 20-30 seconds.

it's ridiculously easy and also SO MUCH CHEAPER in the long run (my syrups are only £6 for 1 litre, the base is a bit more expensive but it takes ages to run out). it's also better for me as an IBS babe because i know exactly what's going into it and i can alter it and still have my favourite coffee on my bad days.

also i know sometimes it's nice to not have to do it yourself and buy it as a little treat, but i promise there are other places you can go to support the boycott (and they're probably cheaper and taste better, honestly).

Ah, I see. Thank you for your honesty. Please, take as much as you need. There will be enough for everyone.

A change of scenery. Simple, but marvelous.

A glimpse into your future, for you brave souls! (Divination is tricky business, tread carefully my dear!)

Knowledge from the universe, eh? Perhaps this will be of interest to you.

Rest for the weary, right this way. It's a personal favourite of mine.

A home-cooked meal you say? I like how you think! A labour of love worth savoring (and sharing with friends!)

For something to pass the time, try looking here, or if that doesn't hit the spot, here.

Seeking adventure to a far-off place? I know a way to get you there.

✨